Coin-operated cigar-vender.



No. 627,702. Patent ed lune 27, I899.

J. mama. COIN OPERATED CIGAR VENDEB.

(Application filed July 19, 1898.)

(No Model.)

A m y INVEN Ton A TTORNEYJ UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

LAYTON J. MCGHIE, OF \VILKES-BARRFJ, PENNSYLVANIA.

COIN-OPERATED ClGAR-VENDER.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 627,702, dated June 27, 1899.

Application filed July 19, 1898. Serial No. 686,341; (No model.)

To all whom it Ina/y concern:

Be it known that I, LAYTON J. MoGHIE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of WVilkes-Barr, county of Luzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Oigar-Venders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled vending-machines adapted especially for vending and advertising cigars,-

the object thereof being to-provide an apparatus of this character which is operative for delivery of the goods contained therein only by the means of a specific coin of predetermined denomination and proportion. The construction of the machine is such that a spurious coin will not operate its parts, and it is exceedingly simple, inexpensive,durable, and reliable in continuous use.

The invention Will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, Figurel is a front elevation of my improved machine, showing a portion of the casing broken away. Fig. 2

is a vertical sectional elevation taken on the line mm of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is avertical sectional elevation taken on the line 2 z of Fig. 1, andFig. '5 is a detail View illustrating the coin-chute forming part of the machine.

In the practice of my invention I provide, primarily, a box or casing A, preferably com? posed of wood and being of rectangular con tour. The front wall a of said box is provided with an opening a, containing a glass plate a for the purpose of exhibiting the goods contained within the apparatus and an advertising-card B, secured back of the said glass plate. This card is used to advertise the goods contained within the box. Secured to the front Wall a of the box is a plate 0, composed of metal, which acts as a means for strengthening the device and contains apertures or slots 0, c, 0 and 0 The apertures c and c areada ted res ectivel ,for receivin a coin and for discharging a card, as will be hereinafter described. The aperture cguides the operating-lever of the machine, and the aperture 0 is covered by a glass plate 0 for This machine is especially constructed for vending cigars,and a compartmentl) is formed to the rear of the glass plate a by means of a vertical partition E. This compartment contains a hopper F and an original package or box F, containing the cigars to be vended. This said box bears the customary revenuestamps, and they are exhibited through the glass plate a and one wall of the box, preferably the bottom thereof, is removed, thus allowing free access to the hopper F. The lid of the box is also removed for the purpose of exhibiting the cigars. Located beneath the hopper F is a slide G, having an aperture 9 formed therein of a size sufficient to contain one cigar. ,This said slide is normally maintained in its forward position, as illustrated in the drawings, by means of a spring H of any suitable adapted form, preferablya bow-spring, as illustrated in the drawings. The slide is also provided with a. recess g, within which the operating mechanism works, and a projecting rod I is extended within this recess for contact with the coin which open. ates the slide, as will be hereinafter described. An arm 9 is extended, laterally and formed integrally with the said slide and carries a plate J, adaptedto discharge cardsK, which may contain advertising or other printed matter. These said cards are automatically de livered one at atime simultaneously with the cigars, and as a means fol-preventing the de-. livery of more than one card at a time an adjustable plate is secured to the inner surface of the front wall of the box by means of screws 70', which pass through slots 70 formed in the said plate. The lower end of this said plate partially closes the aperture 0 formed in the face of the box, whereby only the low ermost card is forced through the aperturec by means of the forward movement of the plate J.

These said cards rest upon a horizontal partition L, and lateral movement thereof is prevented by means of a vertical partition Z, which said partition is also extended downwardly to the base of the box for forming a money box or receptacle Z which is closed at the rear by means of a movable door P, which is adapted to be locked by any suitable means. A removable door A also closes the rear of the machine. This door is preferably supplied with a locking mechanism of any suitable adapted form, whereby the contents of the machine are protected. The slide G does not contact with the two side walls of the box A, and therefore it moves freely back and forth without danger of becoming jammed by reason of lateral expansion, and to prevent lateral motion thereof a tongue 9 is formed thereon,which engages with a groove 1, formed in the partition L. Located to the rear of the opening 0 is a hanger M, which carries the operating-lever N by means of a pivot n, the lever being maintained in itsnormal position by means of a bow-spring N, which is coiled around the pivot n. Also pivotally attached to the hanger M by means of the pivot n is a swinging coin-chute O, which comprises an arm 0 and the chute The lower end of this said chute is forked, the prongs 0 of the fork being respectively supplied with grooves o for receiving the coin 1. This machine is built to receive a nickel, and the width of the fork is of a size just sufficient to receive a coin of this denomination, and a coin of smaller diameter, if inserted, will drop out between the prongs of the fork. Pivotally secured to the coin-chute and bearing upon one prong thereof is a knife P, which has an arm 19, projected upwardly therefrom, engaging a projection n of the lever N, whereby the downward movement of the lever will swing the knife-edge across the path of the coin for the purpose of clamping the same within the forks or for the purpose of cutting a coin of a spurious nature to prevent the operation of the machine. Located beneath the coin-chute and pivotally secured to the partition Z is a swinging arm Q, which has a plate q, extended laterally therefrom,for retaining the coin after it leaves the chute, as illustrated by dotted lines 2. A projected stop q is also extended from this plate for engagement with the lower edge of the coin while it is within the chute. This stop is provided with a shoulder g for engagement with the rear surface of the coin during the process of operating the machine. The arm Q is maintained in its normal position bymeans of a bow-spring R, and forward motion of the arm is limited by a screw g secured to the partition E and which engages a slot q, formed in the said arm.

Located beneath the swinging coin-chute is an inclined plane S. This plane comprises a metallic plate which is secured to the under surface of the horizontal partition L, and it discharges the coin onto the plate q after it is dropped from the swinging coin-chute.

To limit the forward motion of the coinchute and also to assist in operating the slide G, a rod 9 is extended across the recess g, as illustrated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

In the operation of the device the several parts are normally maintained in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and in order to operate the machine a coin 1 is passed through the slot 0' into the swinging coinchute 0, through which it passes down into the fork and rests upon the stop q. of the swinging arm Q. Then downward pressure of the lever N will force the coin-chute rearwardly until the coin therein contacts with the shoulder (1 of the stop 1, and at the same time the knife will be swung forwardly to a sufiicient extent to clamp the coin within the fork. A further rearward movement causes the coin to contact at a point approximating the center thereof with the end of the rod I for the purpose of moving the slide rearwardly and bringing its aperture 9 in a line with the opening of the hopper, whereby one cigar will drop therein, so that it may be automatically carried forward and dropped by the return motion of the slide. The return motion of the coin-chute releases the coin by the automatic action of the spring N, and the arm Q is carried back to its normal position by means of its spring R; but the return movement of the said arm is accomplished before the slide attains its maximum rearward motion, be-

a coin of softer material than anickel will obviously be cut by means of the knife I? during the operation of throwing the coin-chute and before it has a chance to contact with the rod I, thus dropping the major part of the spurious coin and preventing the operation ofthe machine. If a coin of smaller diameter than the nickel is used, it will obviously drop between the forks of the coin-chute, and should a person attempt to use a common washer of a diameter equaling the nickel the red I will simply pass through the opening therein, and thus render the operation of throwing the coin-chute inoperative, and the slit 0 for receiving the coin will not receive a coin larger than a nickel, thus rendering the machine inoperative by use of anything but a coin of predetermined size and material.

I do not confine myself to the specific details of mere mechanical construction as herein shown and described, as it is obvious that under the scope of my invention I am entitled to slight structural variations.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire-to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cigar-vending machine of the class described, the combination of a casing having a coin-slot, a delivery-opening, a card-slot, a lever-opening and glass-covered exhibitionopenings in the face thereof, with a hopper and a spring-actuated slide beneath said hopper, said slide being provided with a transverse opening for receiving cigars from the hopper, with a projecting rod and with a plate for discharging cards, through the card-slot of the casing, and a swinging coin-chute having a forked lower end, the prongs of the fork being slotted to receive a coin of a predetermined diameter whereby a coin of smaller diameter will not be retained therein, and a swinging spring-actuated rest supporting the coin within the fork, and a lever for swinging the coin-chute, whereby the coin therein contacts with the rod of the said slide to throw the same against the action of its spring, to receive a cigar from the hopper, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a cigar-vending machine, the combination of a casing having a coin-slot, a delivery-opening, a card-slot, a lever-opening and glass-covered exhibition-openings in the face thereof, a swinging coin-chute comprising a chute proper with a grooved and forked lower end, a spring-actuated lever and a knife for clamping a proper coin within the fork and for cutting a spurious coin, and a swinging arm having a stop thereon for engaging the coin before it is clamped, and a hopper and a spring-actuated slide having an opening therein for receiving cigars from the hopper, a projecting plate for discharging cards through the card-slot of the casing, and a projecting rod for engagement with the face of a coin used for operating the device, whereby the swinging action of the coin-chute operates the slide for delivering the cigars; the said swinging .arm being provided with an inclined plate for engaging the said fork for clamping a proper V and for cutting a spurious coin, and a swinging arm having a stop for engaging the coin before it is clamped within the chute and a. plate for receiving the coin after it leaves the chute, substantially as shown and described.

4:. In a cigar-vending machine, the combination of a casing having a coin-slot, a delivery-opening, a lever-opening and a glass-covered exhibition-opening in the face thereof, and a hopper and a spring-actuated slide beneath'said hopper, said slide being provided with a transverse opening for receiving cigars from the hopper, and with a projecting rod, with a swinging coin-chute having a forked lower end, the prongs of the fork being slot ted to receive a coin of predetermined diameter whereby a coin of smaller diameter will not be retained therein,and'a swinging springactuated rest supporting the coin within the fork, and a lever for swinging the coin-chute, whereby the coin therein contacts with the rod of the said slide to throw the same against the action of its spring and bring its opening into position to receive a cigar from the hopper, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of July, 1898.

LAYTON J. MOGHIEI Witnesses:

M.- G. IVIOLEAN, A. F. RoUssEL. 

